


Aurora (Niigoki) Part 2

by Garnet_Is_Savage, niigoki



Series: Different Remixes [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Gift, Niigoki, lapidot - Freeform, pearlmethyst - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2019-07-11 12:33:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15972407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Garnet_Is_Savage/pseuds/Garnet_Is_Savage, https://archiveofourown.org/users/niigoki/pseuds/niigoki
Summary: Worlds continue to clash as Peridot learns more about those cursed, like her. Lapis has many conflicting and confusing emotions. Everyone questions everything as their lives' turn upside down.(check out Niigoki's Aurora work before reading)





	1. The Adventure

**Author's Note:**

  * For [niigoki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/niigoki/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Aurora](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11435565) by [niigoki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/niigoki/pseuds/niigoki). 



> This is my first ever work, on Ao3, so be nice :) I love you work, niigoki! I especially love Never Knows Best and Aurora, but you never finished Aurora, and I like to write, so I decided to continue where you left off. I write a lot, but not normally how you write, so it was harder than normal. I tend to write in 1st person and switch off in perspectives for each character. I also add a lot of detail. But enough about me! I really hope you enjoy this short chapter! If you do, I'll post more.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot just wants to sleep, but Lapis decides to take a group for a long walk due to something happening out of the ordinary. Not to mention, Peridot learns new things and meets new people.

(Look Back At Aurora By Niigoki)

By the time he was back, Steven’s legs were less wobbly, but he still felt off balance. He had watched Peridot storm off, and the look on her face had scared him. She was ready to murder, but Steven did not think she even knew how to fight. 

Steven watches as Peridot walks out of Lapis’s private house, followed by Lapis. Lapis has a look of grim determination, and Peridot looks ready. Steven notices the blue fabric in Peridot’s hand.

Lapis walks over gracefully and stops in front of Steven, Peridot stopping next to her.

“Steven, can you bring Pearl and Amethyst. Garnet should be out leading a new cursed one to us. You two are about to get some personal training. By me and Pearl, and Amethyst.” Lapis glances at Peridot after ordering Steven. Steven nods, his expression turns excited. He rarely ever got to see Amethyst now that she had been promoted to a help bring in cursed people. Pearl only seemed to show up when Steven was in trouble.

Steven runs off, and Peridot gives Lapis a slightly confused look, but Lapis is not looking at Peridot, she is looking off into the distance, her eyes glazed over. Peridot wonders what she is thinking about.  
“You haven’t answered all my questions. First of all, what’s with Steven? He seems to be the only boy here.” Peridot asks and Lapis jumps, startled. Lapis had zoned out, thinking about how she was going to get these kids into shape. Well, Peridot was her age, but in bad condition. 

She turns to Peridot with an apologetic half smile, and Peridot gives her another confused look. Peridot is currently confused about a lot. For the first time, in almost her whole life, she felt things. 

“Steven had a rough childhood, and so did his dad. He can tell you later. I don’t exactly know why the children born from the cursed women here are all female. Steven and his dad are different.” Lapis says and both of the girls realize that she did not help answer Peridot’s question at all.

“I have never seen cursed boys, except Steven, who is cursed by Pink, the most mild of the sorcerers.” Lapis turns away, feeling awkward and looking embarrassed. “Steven is different… I don’t know why Pink decided to curse him, and no other men. Well, Greg, Steven’s dad was cursed by her too. I think only Greg knows why. My guess for the reason as to why only women are cursed is that, in the end, it will hurt the men more.”

Peridot did not fully get it, but found it really interesting that Lapis looked embarrassed. Maybe it was because Peridot did not know much about Pink, or maybe because Peridot never felt embarrassed due to being used to being around fiendish, women-abusive men, not to mention she was dead inside. 

Lapis did not want to think about Pink, or poor Steven. She had to come up with a training exercise. Peridot was obviously not in shape and Steven was young, well-balanced, but not strong yet. Pearl and Amethyst would help.

“What do I do with the cloth exactly? I mean, I don’t see you wearing one.” Peridot asks, staring at her own blue cloth, and thinking about what it represents.  
“Most wear theirs in battle, as do I. Most wear them in their hair. Some wear them all the time to represent their suffering. Being that I was cursed by three of the four sisters, I don’t feel like wearing three cloths on my body all the time. I don’t care for dwelling.” Lapis finishes with a grim, but almost snarky, smile, knowing that Peridot dwelt way too much on her own past.

Peridot glares at Lapis, for Peridot did not think Lapis had any idea of what she had gone through. Peridot decides at the moment to carry the cloth with her everywhere, partly out of defiance to Lapis’s snideness. Peridot did not understand how Lapis could get over her own past. Killing her own family.

Peridot’s past kept her going. Her revenge would keep her alive until fulfilled, and then she would make sure she was free from the bruises and scars on her body, and soul. She clenches the cloth in her hands, imagining it was Blue beneath her fingers. 

Peridot is about to ask one more question, but instead she watches as Steven and a twenty-two-old walk over. What struck Peridot the most, was the cloth in the hair of the girl she did not know. What suffering induced by Pink pressed the tall girl to keep the pink cloth in her hair. Plus, where was the third person? Lapis had mentioned Amethyst and Pearl. 

It pushes Peridot’s curiosity, which causes her to feel weird.

The tall, pale twenty-two-old-looking lady had a pink cloth tying up her pink hair. Peridot cannot tell if her hair was naturally pink or not. As she walks closer, with Steven, Peridot notices a purple owl sitting on her shoulder. The owl was staring straight at her with intelligent eyes, and it unnerves Peridot. 

Lapis gave her sad, pathetic, depressingly long, cursed life meaning, even if Lapis was the one who had formed her life unnaturally long and suicidal. She could finally kill the one who had cursed her. Peridot looks down at the blue cloth in her hands. Then she could free herself. Peridot glances in the direction of the cliff she was going to throw herself off of when this was all over. 

Lapis is worried about Pearl’s expression. She looks nervous, and though Pearl worries a lot, she never shows it on her face. Pearl passes a look to Lapis, telling her enough to make Lapis walk over, Peridot trailing behind.

Peridot notices the worry on the taller girls. Steven did not. He still looks and feels excited. 

Pearl completely ignores the new girl. She had to talk to Lapis about the impending danger. They had to rally a team.

“We have a big problem. A man found his way here. I don’t know how because Amethyst was not watching like she was supposed to. We need to get a team together.” Pearl says, slightly angry at Amethyst for her incompetence. They could not afford these sort of mistakes! 

Peridot notices that at the mention of the name Amethyst, that the owl bows its head slightly, almost like is was ashamed. Peridot guesses that somehow the owl must be Amethyst. The pasty, tall girl must be Pearl then.

Lapis considers Pearl’s words with increasing alarm. This rarely happened, and when it did, it always ended bad. At least, since Sapphire had been taken. 

“Don’t assemble our troops yet. This will be a good time to show Steven and Peridot what our village is preparing to do. Are you sure it was a man? How were the owls reacting?” Lapis says, wanting to make sure the man was not an imposter. 

“I am sure. The owls confirmed it. Are you sure I shouldn’t get the others?” Pearl asks, confused at why Lapis would change protocol. Then again, not many people actually listen to her. 

By now, Steven had caught on. He had heard of a few times when things like this happened, but he had never been allowed to be a part of the solution. He did not know what Lapis was planning.

Peridot was getting more confused by the minute. She did not understand Pearl, or Amethyst the owl, or what was going on, but she was itching to find out. She wanted to learn how to fight, and kill, Blue. 

Lapis nods and signals for the group to follow her. Pearl follows directly behind her after glancing at the Peridot, wondering what her story was. Peridot and Steven walk side-by-side behind Pearl. Peridot staring at the ground and Steven staring at the sunset. 

They headed for the direction of the cliff, and once they reached it, Lapis led them down a steep, narrow trail. Peridot trips often on the rocky, root-filled ground, but no one seemed to notice. Steven is surprisingly balanced, and never trips. He rarely traveled down to the forest, for fear of getting lost in its vastness.

The walked without talking. Everyone was in their own mind.

Despite being far up north, snowing often, the sky was still clear, and the ground wet, but the snow had already melted. There was very little white on the trees and muddy ground.

Once they reach the forest, Lapis stops, along with the others. She turns around and directs her words to the owl still resting on Pearl’s shoulder.

“Can you scout ahead from the air, Amethyst?” The owl nods and takes off silently. Peridot watches her fly away elegantly until she is out of sight, and the group continues walking. 

Every once in awhile, Lapis sniffs the air and listens for any unusual sounds. The forest is quiet, except for the sounds of Peridot’s and Steven’s footsteps. Pearl and Lapis walk silently as Lapis follows Amethyst’s scent.

They walk for longer than Peridot would have liked. Her mind was reeling with thoughts about how she was going to whip her skinny, weak, scared, bruised, and overall sad body into enough shape to kill a hundred plus year sorcerer. 

Peridot was already worn out when she notices the moon is peeking out from behind the clouds, and trees. She had not noticed the sun going down before, probably because of her newfound distractions. It meant she had spent a day at the village. She notices the fact that the snow had completely disappeared replaced with sparse grass and plants, rocks, and colorful mushrooms.

The moon is full, but it was hard to see due to the thick foliage. The snow probably could not even reach the ground, and the air was humid, warmer than usual. They walked for at least half an hour before Lapis suddenly stopped, holding up her hand for the others to stop too. Her stance warned them to be silent. 

A moment later Amethyst returns and lands on Lapis arm. Lapis nods and Amethyst hops onto the ground. Peridot and the others watch as she transforms into a short, slightly-overweight, lilac-haired, seventeen-year-looking girl. She is only slightly taller than Peridot. 

Her transformation was fast, almost a blur, but Peridot watched as her feathers had melted into skin, and her body had grown. She had transformed much like how Lapis does from wolf to human. She was also like Lapis in that she wore no cloth, so Peridot did not know who Amethyst intended to kill in the end.

Peridot wonders if half the cursed people could transform. 

Lapis and Amethyst crouch, and Lapis’s ears move, much like a wolf’s. Pearl crouches and signals for Peridot and Steven to crouch too.

Amethyst had found the man. He was alone, haggard-looking, and lost. 

Amethyst glances at Peridot, wondering what her curse was. She notices how tired the girl was, and how beat up she looked. Peridot reminds Amethyst of her past. Amethyst wonders if she used her sense of humor to cover up her feelings too. From the look of Peridot, though, Amethyst did not think she even had a sense of humor.

Then again, not many of the cursed appreciated humor. 

Lapis glances back at Pearl, Peridot, and Steven, suddenly worried about how to proceed. She sniffs the air again, making sure the man was still a mile off. She stands up and the others do too, relaxing. 

“What exactly did you see?” Lapis asks Amethyst.

“Not the norm. This guy was younger, very tired, and obviously lost. His clothes look warm, but dirty. He is lanky and somewhat tall with curly, orange-brown hair. He looks like he has been wondering for a long time. There is no one else around, that my sharp eyes could see. He is not like the others that have come.” Amethyst reports,  
somewhat hesitantly. 

All four look at Lapis expectantly. Pearl was wondering what Lapis was going to do. This was a different situation. Peridot was unbelievably tired, but her brain was wired. She wondered if she knew the man. Steven was longing to get going and do something. Amethyst was wondering if she could tell a joke about the situation without getting scolded by Pearl.

“How did everyone miss him, and how, and when, did you finally see him? What did he look like when you first saw him?” Lapis asks, as the questions surface her mind.

Amethyst looks genuinely embarrassed, her face tinting red.

“I was guarding with the others, and nothing was happening, no curses running about, or anything.” Amethyst starts, then pauses for a second before continuing. To be fair, if she had not been goofing around, she would not have seen the man. “Since nothing was happening, I took wing to explore other parts of the forest. I enjoy the air a bit too much. So, umm, I flew off away from my post, and a few miles away from the closest guard, I spotted the man. I was so startled, I flew straight to Pearl without getting a very good look of the guy. I don’t know how he got past us because most of the guards are better at their job than me.” 

Lapis appreciates the honesty, but wonders why she even puts Amethyst on guard duty. Peridot closes her eyes and leans against a tree, acting like she did not care, but secretly curious about how Lapis would react. Peridot did not know much about Amethyst, but she found her interesting. To be honest, she found the whole village of weirdos like her interesting. She was still a little upset at Lapis though. 

“Did you tell any of the guards about this mistake? It’s good you went to Pearl, but you should have warned them, and gotten a description. Is that why you showed up in an owl form instead of human, so you wouldn’t have to face my questions?” Lapis ends with a heated question, and before she could put her anger in check, she bares her sharp teeth at Amethyst while taking a step towards the short girl.

At Lapis’s last question, everyone reacts. Pearl steps forward and puts a hand on Lapis’s shoulder, Steven takes a step back, looking ready to say something, and Peridot’s eyes snap open as she tenses.

Amethyst’s reaction, shrinking back and taking a step away, snaps Lapis out of her anger. She has anger issues when worried and confused. She takes a deep breath and gives a apologetic half smile. Amethyst relaxes and manages a crooked smile. 

To be honest, Amethyst was slightly scared of Lapis. She liked Lapis, and knew she was an amazing warrior, but she had to be careful with her anger, just like how Amethyst had to be careful with her humor and carelessness. 

Peridot had opened her eyes in shock right as Lapis had bared her fanged teeth. She had not expected Lapis to lash out. Lapis just seemed so chill, used to leading and being ready. It was one thing, that for the few hours she’d known Lapis, she liked about the she wolf. Apparently, she had an angry side. Peridot glances at Lapis, seeing the anger disappear completely from her stance and facial expression, much like it was never there. 

Both Pearl and Steven had seen the upset side of Lapis. They had different views on it though.

Pearl knew enough about Lapis to know how to calm her down, if she did not calm herself down first. Pearl was not worried, and she could always tell when Lapis was going to go off.

Steven was the opposite. To him, Lapis always seemed to get angry out of nowhere. It always surprised him. It always made him take a step back, but he was not scared of Lapis. Her anger made him hesitant, but not scared. 

“Well, we will approach him carefully. Amethyst, you observe, and guard, from above. Please do your job this time. Pearl, you’ll come with me, and Steven and Peridot, you two, will follow behind. If you hear a whistle, you can come. If you don’t you must stay still and silent.” Lapis orders. 

Pearl wonders how this will work in the end. It could be a trap, not to mention, it was getting too dark for Steven and the newbie to see. Why even bring these two on this trip? Why was she so concerned about the new girl? 

Technically, Pearl and Lapis were at the same position in authority. They had known each other before the village had been created. They were good friends. Pearl trusted Lapis, but Lapis tended to just run straight into trouble without thinking, and it made Pearl nervous. 

Pearl knew what it was like to run into the unknown and get hurt. Her own curse, was not just immortality and unnatural agility. It was much more, and no one knew it. 

But, instead of objecting to Lapis’s plan, Pearl just nods. 

Lapis glances at Peridot and Steven wondering if they could keep up, but part of her wanted them to stay far off. This guy could be dangerous, and she did not want anyone getting hurt.

Peridot shrugs, not caring about the stupid man who had wandered too far. She wanted to sleep, maybe wash herself and drink something, but she mainly wanted to escape the crazy world she had entered in. She wanted to kill Blue, but she why go on a useless, tiring, and stupid walk through these dense woods?

One question on Peridot’s mind was bugging her. Were there Curses in these woods? She glanced around, but in the end decided not to ask because she assumed that if there were, Lapis would warn her.

Amethyst transforms back into an owl and flaps hard to get off the ground. She hovers for a second and then disappears into the dark greenery above. Lapis takes a deep breath and changes into her navy wolf form. It was getting quite dark, and suddenly, as she lands on the ground with all four paws, Lapis realized how stupid she had been.

A wolf’s eyes can see far better, not as well as an owl’s, in the dark than a human’s. Not to mention, Lapis’s wolf senses were part of her human form too, so she could see in the dark, whereas Steven cannot. She assumed Peridot could not either. 

Pearl was trained to use her other senses in the dark, so she never relied only on her sight. Amethyst had the eyes of an owl, so she was fine.

Steven and Peridot were not trained to move fast and well in the darkness that comes with night in a thick, dangerous forest. There were not Curses in this forest, but it was still dangerous. The darker it got, the more dangerous it would become. 

Steven realizes this too. It was almost too dark for him to see, but he still wanted to be part of this mission. He was eager to be part of the action.  
Peridot did not care much, but she closes her eyes and sighs. The darkness meant that they would send her back because she was useless in the dark. She was eager to sleep. She was still clutching the blue fabric, but now she could barely see it. She ties the cloth around her wrist and sits down on an oversized mushroom with a sigh. 

Pearl watches Lapis, having realized this a while ago. Pearl wanted to see how she would react. If it endangers Steven, she will object. If it does not, she will not. She learned long ago that she could not impose herself on people, or people could get hurt. Pearl had put it on herself to remain calm and protect Steven when Greg could not.

Amethyst was thinking about the dark because, for her, it was as bright as day.

Lapis transforms back to human, looking a little awkward on her hands and knees, before moving and sitting next to Peridot, on another oversized mushroom. Lapis rests her head in her hands, her face heated from embarrassment. She felt so foggy headed. 

Ever since Lapis had brought Peridot back, Lapis had been questioning the owls and their existence. Why hadn’t the owls seen Peridot as cursed? Why were people being cursed? Why were the cursed only female? Why were Steven and his father different? Where were the sister sorcerers? How had this man made it past the forest guards? 

Lapis felt like she needed to talk to Garnet. She always seemed to know what to do, but Garnet was busy picking up a new cursed one.

Pearl decides to speak up, having a feeling she knew how Lapis felt. Overwhelmed. Confused. She needed help.

“I will take Steven and Peridot back. You and Amethyst can take a look at the guy and decide where to go from there, unless you want to take them back and I go on. We must see who he is, how he got past the guards, and why he is here. Either you or I must go.” Pearl orders, taking charge to help Lapis, and signals for Amethyst to fly down. 

Amethyst had been waiting, perched ten feet above the group, ready to take flight when Lapis and Pearl started going. 

Lapis looks up at Pearl, then glances at Peridot, who had her eyes closed, enjoying the rest. She wanted to follow Pearl’s advice, but something was nagging at the back of her mind, telling her not to.

She felt this often when Pearl gave advice. Until now, she never thought anything of it. 

What was it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this first chapter, and I am always up for advice!


	2. Different Perspectives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lars, Ronaldo, and Mr. Fryman go off on their own adventures. Curiosity, anger, and weariness mix in this chapter as you get to see their different perspectives all on the same night/day as Lapis finds out about the mysterious man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello people of the SU Fandom!
> 
> I hope you enjoy my chapter 2 of this story. Sorry, there isn’t any Lapidot in this chapter, but that is because I want to add more characters and create more depth to the story line.   
> I promise there will be tons of Lapidot in the chapters to come! You will also see other ships and new characters emerge, even in the next chapter.
> 
> You may even see a famous giant pink cat show up, "wink wink" :) (sorry, it's not pink panther if that's what you're thinking)
> 
> I recommend reading Niigoki's works, especially Aurora and Never Knows Best, if you're into SU, and Lapidot. If you write SU fanfics, they are great to use as a tool to get better at writing.
> 
> Plus, you would understand my story better :P

Meanwhile…  
Ronaldo did not know what to make of P sprinting off. He watched as the small boy formed a weird, scary smile on his determined face, moments before dashing off without another word. 

Before following P, Ronaldo picked up the old book and stored it in one of his deep pockets. He put a jacket on and walked after the fast boy, all the while wondering what had just happened. 

By the time Ronaldo reached the outdoors, P was nowhere to be seen. It had started snowing softly, as it often did this far north, but the cold never really bothered Ronaldo. He loved the snow. 

Ronaldo had a way of being invisible to everyone. It upset him often when trying to share information with people, but right now, he was glad for going unnoticed. He went out of the city’s limits frequently, and knew how to just walk right past the guards. Honestly, they probably did not care if he was killed. They saw him a meddling, foolish, fat kid. 

Ronaldo glanced behind at his father’s tavern, wondering where P could have ran off to. Should he follow the small boy? Ronaldo could barely make out the small footprints leading right to the sewer entrance. Ronaldo had not known that P knew how to get out of the city, until now.

Ronaldo clearly heard the jeering of the rude men in the tavern and decided to follow P, in his own way.

The sewers were the best way out, but the exit out through them was too small for Ronaldo. Obviously, it was not for P, but instead of following P’s footsteps, Ronaldo went the way he knew best. 

He walked right past the guards using an underground system connected to the sewers. It was so old, but big enough for him to crawl through. He had found the entrance not long ago after exploring the sewers.

First, he entered the sewers, but instead of following them to or away the city, he took the path that branched to the left. After walking for a few minutes, he reached a dead end. 

Instead of walking back, he ran straight through the wall. The first time he discovered the the hologram wall, he almost went insane. Much to Ronaldo’s disappointment though, the tunnel went straight only, right out into the middle of the forest, exiting much farther than the sewer exit out the city.

Much deeper into the dark forest.

Before, he had not had the courage to go into the forest, returning back.

Now, he stood in the scary forest, full of apprehension, wondering if he should go back.

After only a few moments of thought, Ronaldo’s curiosity won. He had to know where the boy had gone. 

Though the sun was going up, the forest remained gloom-filled, and eerie, a quiet feeling passed over Ronaldo as he entered it, following P’s faint footprints in the shallow snow.

Ronaldo could tell P had covered up his footprints earlier on, but, thanks to the underground tunnel, Ronaldo had been lucky enough to surface right next to P’s tracks. The boy had not covered these ones because he was far enough from the guards to be safe. 

Again, Ronaldo pondered what other secrets P held.   
The footprints became smudged by new snow covering it, and Ronaldo started to worry that he would not be able to find his way back as he followed the vague prints deeper into the nasty forest. He could not figure out why P had run. The footprints stop in a small clearing, replaced now my a big spot absent of snow.

Next to the abnormal splotch, a larger set of footprints were imprinted into deep snow. 

Much bigger than P’s. 

Next to the footprints and melted patch, blue fur littered the ground.

Ronaldo knelt and picked up a few strands of fur, horror filling his mind and heart. P had been taken by the wolf? It did not make sense. Why had P even run out? Ronaldo’s mind swirled with theories and uncertainty. 

Ronaldo stored the fur in his other pocket, not in the one with the book, and looked carefully around for any other clues to where P had disappeared to. He found proof that the wolf had visited, other than the fur. There were paw prints dotting the ground twenty yards from the set of big footprints.

The paw prints showed that the creature was a wolf, a big wolf, and it had been running from something. Ronaldo stared at the signs, and though he was great at formulating theories...

He was at a loss. 

 

Also Meanwhile…  
Mr. Harold Fryman had not see his son or the young servant boy run off. He was busy cleaning the back room, and stopping any fights if they broke out. 

They tended to break out often.

Moments after finishing the cleaning of the seemingly endless array of dirty dishes, he heard an obnoxious shout. Normally, he ignored the shouts and ill-mannered remarks from the men in the main room, but this shout signaled the beginning of a fight.

“You don’t know what it feels like, mother-” One guy screamed, but before the guy can finish his swearing, Mr. Fryman heard a crash and another deeper voice called out.

“You think I don’t understand! I lost my only child to that fucking demon beast!”

Mr. Fryman ran out to break up the fight, encountering one man pinned to the floor by another, a few chairs tipped over, and a small table broken. Luckily, no one was hurt, and there was no blood on the floor.

Mr. Fryman’s authoritative presence stopped the fight before it went on. The people not participating in the fight either backed away or turned around in their chairs, trying to act like they were ignoring the whole issue. 

The man pinning down the other man was huge, muscular, and overall intimidating, but he knew the rules of the tavern. NO FIGHTING-the most important rule. He released the man and stood up, towering over Mr. Fryman. The other, skinny and tall, struggled to his feet, a frown on his face.

Mr. Fryman noticed the skinny one was barely a man, just turned twenty-one probably. The other was at least twenty-six.

“I don’t permit this kind of behavior.” Mr. Fryman paused, waving his arms to the broken and shambolic area. “How did this start?” Harold already knew the answer.

“Sorry, sir, I am Tom. We were tellin our stories bout the wolf, and apparently I offended him.” The big guy stated, a grim look on his face. To Mr. Fryman’s surprise, the man looked regretful. The skinny guy did not say anything, just continued to frown.

“I said, ‘Instead of talking bout the wolf, we should be killin it’. He didn’t like it and started screamin at me like I didn’t know how he felt. I know exactly how you feel.” The strong man said, starting with directing his words to Harold and ending with talking to the skinny guy. The smaller guy looked away, embarrassment crossing his face.

Mr. Fryman sighed and rubbed his forehead in weary. He had his own story of tragedy. 

“We are doing our best. The guards are out there 24/7 everyday, switching shifts. What are we supposed to do?” Mr. Fryman asked, glancing at the slouching smaller guy. “Plenty of the men in the bar had lost a wife or child. Why fight over it?”

Instead of answering, the skinny guy walked out, hands in pockets. 

“Don’t mind Lars. He’s just a bit moody is all. Just lost his girl to the wolf a few months ago. Never been the same since.” One of the men sitting at the front of the bar called out. Fryman ignored him.

“Help me clean this up.” Fryman ordered the huge man, and he complied. In five minutes, the mess was gone, and the table replaced. 

“If I hear another fight erupt, I will kick out whoever is accountable!” Fryman shouted over the continued boisterous clamor. The shouting and mocking stopped for a second, then continued, showing that they had acknowledged his words.

Fryman sighed again and walked up the stairs to quickly check on his son and the small servant boy.

 

Lil’ Lars Perspective…  
Lars walked out of the dirty bar with clenched teeth and seething anger. He was so sick and tired of the same old, same old. No fucking progress, whatsoever. 

He wanted Sadie back, so bad. He wanted that fucking demon wolf dead. If he could not get either, he wanted to die. So he decided to go off on his own and face the wolf. He had to get past the guards though.

The guards were useless. The wolf was obviously smarter than a regular wolf. It was getting past the guards and snatching people. Lars wanted to know how. No one would listen to him. 

Lars stopped as snow lands on his black jacket and brown hair. He had to plan better if he was going to make it out. He needed to find someone who would help him. He knew, though never talked to, one peculiar guy, not much younger than himself. 

Ronaldo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading this chapter! And sorry again for no Lapidot or cursed ones. I enjoyed writing this shorter chapter, and if it seems like the story isn't going anywhere, trust me, it is :)
> 
> My uploading may become spotty because the next chapters are going to be crazy
> 
> I am always up for advice and constructive criticism. How do you guys feel about Sadie going missing, and Lars longing for her? ;o
> 
> Have a great day!
> 
> P.S: Mr. Fryman's first name will be Harold in this story ;3


	3. The Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lars runs deep into the forest looking for the blasted blue wolf. Ronaldo accidentally spies and almost gets caught before heading back home. Lapis and the others come up with a plan to get rid of the man, and Peridot questions her plan.
> 
> (sorry, it is a very vague summary because I didn't want to give anything away)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is more Lapidot in this chapter, but there will be ton more to come- a bit of a slow burn. You'll see three new characters, including good old Garnet, but not much of them, until later. 
> 
> pLeASe CHecK OuT mY eND NoTEs!

Lars ran to his small, humble house. If he was going into the woods, he needed supplies, and a weapon. He was best with a bow, but good with a gun, and if the wolf rushed, or surprised him, a bow would be useless.

Lars arrived, thankful his parents were out, and gathered about two days of water in bottles and food; jerky, cheese and bread. Next he walked to his room and grabbed his weapon. It was a good gun, and it had been passed down generations.

The gun itself was painted a reddish-brown color with a black stock and white trigger. The most unique part was the orangish-pink star on the bottom of the stock.

The most important part was that the gun would do the job. Lars did not like killing, or hunting with a gun, but he was determined to end the wolf. 

He fastened the brown, worn, leather holster to his belt and slid the gun neatly into it. He grabbed a pair of clean clothes, stuffing them in his backpack with his food and water. He would also need warmth. 

He walked to his closet and acquired his thick, woolen gloves, hat, and jacket. While fixing them all on, he searched for his best, black winter boots. He was smart enough to know how cold and desolate it could be outside civilization, this far north.

He was angry, but not stupid.

Lars found his boots next to his bed and slid his feet into them, his feet padded, warm, and dry. He was ready to go. He fastened his backpack tightly against his back. He felt hot, but knew that he would feel nice when out in the cold.

Lastly, he attained his best, high beam flashlight, for the darkness that comes with night. The flash light was black and the beam it let out was white. The flashlight was small, able to fit in his pocket, but worked well. He stashed it in his jacket pocket.

He glanced at his parents room while walking out of the house, considering for a second if he should write a note, but decided against it.

His parents did not need to worry. He would either come back alive with the wolf’s dead body, or not at all.

The backpack was heavy against his back as he ran back to the tavern, wondering where he would find Ronaldo. The snow was pouring down, but not seeping through Lars’ heavy duty clothes. 

It was almost dawn, the sun peeking out from the horizon, and most were soundly asleep. No one, but the guards, would see him run off. Lars reached the tavern, just as the light of the sun made the landscape glow pink, red, and orange. 

He hesitated at the door of the tavern. Ronaldo was probably asleep. Suddenly, Lars wondered if this whole plan was idiotic. It was suicide, and he could not even get out of the village. Lars did not know where Ronaldo was or if he knew the way out, or if he would even help Lars. 

Lars backed away from the door, but before he could walk off back to his house, he is barreled over be someone.

Sprawled on the snow, Lars took a moment to regain his senses as the dizziness of getting knocked to the ground hit him. In a few moments he recovered to see Mr. Fryman standing over him, panic on his face. 

Harold seemed not to see Lars for a few seconds, then looked down and confusion flashed across his face before realizing what he had done. He instantly felt sorry and apologized.

“I am so sorry. I don’t know where Ronaldo is. I-I thought…” Harold drifted off as he searched the area. Lars stood up and awkwardly tried to hide the gun on his hip by covering up the area with his jacket and hands. Luckily, Mr. Fryman was too distracted to notice the weapon.

“Have you seen Ronaldo? Did he come out here? He went to his room with the servant boy to sleep, but I checked, and he was not up there.” Mr. Fryman asked Lars, and Lars could tell he was trying hard not to show panic. Why was the man so scared of Ronaldo going off on his own for a few hours? It was a late hour, or early depending on how you saw it, and Ronaldo was not the most liked, but he was not really in danger in this somewhat popular village.

“I haven’t seen him, but why are you freaking out?” Lars asked, realizing that the question sounded rude only after he asked it. His face turned a slight shade of red before he amended his mistake. “I mean, why are you worried? Is it abnormal for a guy his age to be awake at this hour?” 

“For him it is, and that’s why I’m worried. He always tells me when he goes out, but the weirdest part is that our servant boy is gone too. So I have no way of knowing where they’ve gone.” Harold replied, not at all offended by Lars’ brash first question. He noticed how Lars’ rephrased, unlike most men, who tended to be much worse.

Lars did not care about the servant boy, but if they found Ronaldo, the odd guy could help him get out of the city. At least, that was what Lars hoped. This was why Lars volunteered to help.

“Mr. Fryman, I can help you find him. I have nothing better to do.” Lars said as innocently as he could. Harold looked at him confused, suspicion filling his mind. 

Mr. Fryman saw the backpack on Lars’ back and the kid’s heavy clothes. What had the kid been planning to do? Harold knew Lars was the same kid in the skirmish in his bar, and worried about the kid. Mr. Fryman did not see the weapon, and soon his thoughts fled from Lars to his own son. Why not accept the kid’s help? Two heads were better than one.

“Sure kid. Come on, maybe the guards know where he went.” Harold started off walking, Lars following behind, hoping they would find Ronaldo. 

It was snowing fiercely. 

 

[Meanwhile...]

Ronaldo did not know where to go from there. He wanted to find P, but if P had been snatched by the beast, Ronaldo could not do anything.

He explored every inch of the clearing, but did not find any more clues, practically confirming that P was dead or taken. What confused Ronaldo was three things: Why had P run off in the first place? If the wolf had eaten, or killed, P, where was the evidence? Could the wolf really leave no blood behind?

Ronaldo pulled out his old book of mysteries about curses and the past. He rummaged through the thin, worn pages, but found very little information about the wolf, or even the Lazulis.

Ronaldo looked back from where he had come from, nervous about traveling farther, or even getting back. The snow was coming down thicker by the moment, and getting lost meant death.

He started walking back, hoping he was going the right way, when he heard a thump and shout.

“Shit! That fucking hurt!” A distinctly female voice cursed loudly. Ronaldo froze, thinking for a less than a second that it was P, but then it registered that P did not sound like that. He did not recognize the voice.

“Shut up, Amber! We don’t want to get caught.” Another female voice harshly reacted. That’s when Ronaldo realized how close the two girls were. The first voice sounded about sixteen, two years younger than Ronaldo, and the other one sounded about twelve. 

“No one can fucking hear us. No one that shouldn’t hear us anyway. Our rescuer is coming soon. Are you cold?” The first voice replied, starting off nonchalant then sounded caring and concerned at the end. 

“I’m fine. The cold doesn’t bother me much.” The younger girl said quieter. She almost sounded nervous. Ronaldo was still frozen, curious, but a tad scared. Who were the girls? 

He guessed the older one was Amber, or at least the younger one called her that. He did not know why they were here, but had a feeling it had to do with P. Who was their rescuer?

Before his mind could even think of coming up with theories, he heard footsteps. 

Ronaldo reacted faster than he thought he could. He reacted instantly and instinctively. 

Running away from the sound of footsteps, out of the clearing, Ronaldo found the perfect climbing tree. There were a lot in the big forest, but this one was exceptionally nice. It could hold Ronaldo, and Ronaldo could climb. 

Especially when terrified. 

 

[Lars and Mr. Fryman…]

They approached the nearest guard and asked if they had seen Harold’s son. Everyone knew Ronaldo, whether they saw him as annoying, endearing, or just as Mr. Fryman’s son. The guard replied he had not. 

They moved on to ask five more guards, becoming more and more frustrated as each of them answered that they had not seen Ronaldo.

“What good are the guards if they can’t even spot a chubby teenager!” Harold growled, when out of earshot of any guards. The guards were dangerous brutes, huge and strong, but not necessarily fast or watchful. 

They certainly had not caught the wolf, a beast. Then again, neither had anyone else in the large village.

Lars was also exasperated, but curious. Maybe Ronaldo really had gotten out of city limits. Why would he, how would he, and where was the servant?

“Where else could he be? Does he have any friends? Do you know where he goes on his freetime? It must be 4 in the morning.” Lars asked, more rhetorically than anything.

“He doesn’t really have any friends. I don’t know where he goes in his free time.” Harold looked at a loss, and Lars groaned. To be fair, it was not just because the kid was weird. Most people did not have friends. Lars was lucky enough to have two: Sour Cream and Buck.

“Why are you so worried then? You don’t even know where he goes, alone.”

“I-I just have a bad feeling is all. Where could he have gone? He doesn’t normally wander off, at least at this time of day.” Mr. Fryman said, sounded dejected and defeated. That’s when Lars came up with an idea. He would need a distraction.

“Let’s talk to another guard. I know one who might be able to help.” Lars led Harold deeper, closer to the forest. Lars knew a guard, but this guard would help in a different way.

The man’s name was Dewey, twenty-two. He used to be Lars’ friend when Lars used to be an ass. Dewey was short, fast, and buff. He had a horrible temper, oblivious to others, tended to get people riled up, and was an over all horrible person to be around. He was perfect for what Lars had come up with. 

Most people were not stupid enough to insult Mr. Fryman, the owner of the best tavern in the village. If they are stupid enough, they are not allowed in the tavern. Dewey was stupid enough, but Harold did not know this.

“Have you seen Ronaldo?” Lars asked expecting a rude answer.

“You mean the stupid fat kid who annoys me n the other guards? Nope, haven’ seen em, but I saw a hot chick walk aroun ere earlier.” Dewey replied with a leer. Harold was not happy.

Mr. Fryman was already toeing the line of outright anger at the incompetent guards, but now he crossed it. No one called his son stupid in front of him, no one!

Mr. Fryman’s reaction caught Lars off guard. Harold punched Dewey straight in the face, knocking the man on the hard ground, Dewey’s nose erupting with blood. After a moment of shock, Lars saw his chance and ran into the forest, not looking back and not hearing anything from the father he left behind.

Harold stared at the the guard he just punched, disgust on his face, never noticing the absence of Lars. Mr. Fryman then left the bleeding man in the snow and walked to his tavern, hoping he would find Ronaldo in his bed in the morning.

 

[Ronaldo]

Ronaldo made it up the tree with lightning quick speed and held his breath as he listened from above.

“Are you ready? Did you leave the fur? Did anyone see you leave?” A new voice spoke up, older, maybe in late twenties or thirties, and female. The voice had an unfamiliar accent that Ronaldo had only heard once before, when a British man came to town. Ronaldo had seen the foreign man when he was thirteen. The accent was British.

Amber answered with her own question.

“Are you Garnet?” Amber asked, her tone full of suspicion and caution. She sounded ready to fight. The women must have nodded her reply because Ronaldo did not hear a yes and the younger girl spoke up, answering the British women’s questions.

“We left the fur, and we are ready. I don’t think anyone saw us.” She answered, anxious to get going from the tone in her voice. Ronaldo was wondering what he should do. 

The group of females started walking, their footsteps crunching softly on the ground. The urge to follow them was strong, but he decided against it. The forest was too vast and dangerous. Ronaldo knew he would not forget what he had heard though.

He climbed down the tree and headed back to his house. Once he got some sleep, he would find out what was going on. If he could find his way back.

 

[Lars…]

Lars continued to run, as silently as he could. Dewey had been one of the guards deeper in the forest, but there were at least ten more even deeper. Lars would have to avoid him. 

The cold kept him from overheating, but he was shivering with nervousness. The forest itself had a nasty feeling. He did not want to get caught off guard, but he did not go into the forest often enough to know what to expect. 

He traveled a good mile, only having one mess up. He ran into one guard, but was able to knock him out and kept running. Only a mile later, when the adrenaline had faded did Lars realize that he might have doomed the guard to freezing to death. This haunted Lars, and he ran harder and faster to try and forget.

Lars ran often to forget things. He loved running, feeling his heart pounding and breathing hard. He was in shape to run, and so he did. And he ran fast, for about five miles. The sun barely showing through the thick foliage, but it was almost noon when Lars stopped and ate. He would have to start truly attracting the wolf. 

After eating he got up and started calling out, making as much noise as he could. He walked for a mile, continually calling out: “Come wolfie, come! Here’s some nice dinner!” Nothing ever came. He began to run again.

 

Five hours later:

It was about five in the afternoon, and Lars had decided to walk after ten miles of running. He was tired, but not exhausted. His clothes were partly sweated through. He walked for an hour, getting another four miles, calling out and making noise. He called for the wolf until his voice was so hoarse it hurt. Still nothing. The forest was scarily quiet and devoid of animals. 

 

9:00:

He was exhausted, but kept pushing deeper in the forest. He heard no animal activity and nothing attacked. He found this frustrating and confusing. He grabbed his high-power flashlight from his backpack and turned it on. 

He considered going back for the third time but knew he was lost, and he promised he would go back with the dead wolf, or not at all.

The light was strong enough to light ten feet in every direction. He walked on, yelling and stomping, completely lost, almost on the verge of tears from frustration.

 

11:00: 

It was pitch black, and Lars could only see from his flashlight, the moon hidden by the trees. He was walking, quiet now, wondering where he should stay to sleep, safely. The wolf might come for him at night. Something, if anything even lived in this forest, could kill and eat him in his sleep. Lars was anxious, but he pressed forward. 

 

11:30: 

He stopped, finding a safe-looking cave, and ate in the cave. He kept as best watch as he could.

 

[At 11:15 with the cursed ones]

It was practically pitch black dark in the forest, at least to Peridot and Steven. Pearl was waiting for Lapis to agree or come up with a new plan. Amethyst was anxious to fly and confront the boy who was barely a man. Lapis was still confused, but had decided on following Pearl’s plan. 

Lapis would figure out her confusion later. She had to act now.

Lapis stood up and motioned for Peridot to stand up too, but Peridot had her eyes closed. Steven tapped Peridot’s shoulder, making her jump up off the mushroom, eyes wide and full of caution.

Lapis smiled a small smile, noticing Peridot’s good reflexes. Peridot glared at the others for making her practically jump out of her skin. She especially glared at Steven, who smiled at her sheepishly. 

“I agree with you Pearl, but Peridot is also coming with me. She needs to know what she is getting into.” Lapis said, much to everyone’s surprise, including her own.

Pearl was only slightly surprised because she was used to having her advice only partly taken. Still, she did not think it was a good idea to bring the newbie on a mission in the dark. Pearl glanced up to where she guessed Amethyst was perched as an owl. She could only hope Lapis and Amethyst could keep the small rookie safe.

Steven was upset that he did not get to go too. Amethyst was curious and ansy to get on flying, but she had seen Pearl’s worried look directed to her, and she was determined to show she was competent. Not only for herself esteem, but for the others. She had already embarrassed herself in front of the new girl, though she was used to being humiliated in front of the others.

Peridot was pissed. She no longer wanted to be part of this crazy group going on insane adventures in the middle of the night. She wanted to sleep! She glared at Lapis, not knowing what else to do to express her anger to the dangerous leader.

Lapis just decided that she wanted Peridot to know that the world was full of danger. Peridot may know about danger, but she had never experienced danger that could kill her. Also, she would need someone familiar with the village in her plan.

“Why in the-” Peridot started, but Lapis interrupted.

“You’re coming with.” Was all Lapis said, but it silenced Peridot. Pearl nodded and picked up Steven before he could complain out loud. Steven pouted as Pearl carried him like a baby and started back to the village.

Before Peridot could ask how in the hell she was going to be able to see more than a few inches in front of her, Lapis turned into a wolf. To Peridot’s surprise, Lapis’ fur glowed a bright blue hue, brighter than her actual fur. The shook look on Peridot’s face gave Lapis a feeling of smug satisfaction.

Lapis nudged Peridot, almost toppling her over, and Peridot got the cue to get on her back. Flashbacks from the early sprint through the woods made Peridot apprehensive as she clinged to Lapis’ thick fur coat, shivering. Peridot could feel Lapis’ warmth and muscle as she loped. Lapis’ heat calmed Peridot’s nerves, even though she was not shivering from the cold. She was able to relax after a minute of running. 

Lapis’ fur shone brightly, irradiating a good twelve feet in all directions, so Peridot could see much better.

Lapis waited a minute for Peridot to get more comfortable before all out sprinting, feeling Peridot’s body slowly relax. 

Then they were springing into the unknown.

It only took about three minutes to reach a safe, but walkable, distance away from the intruder. Lapis as a wolf was extremely fast and tireless while sprinting. She could go farther, faster, than any regular wolf. 

In fact, Peridot was breathing harder than Lapis. Peridot’s heart was pounding in her chest from the speed and intensity that Lapis had ran at. She was struggling to catch her breath as she slid off Lapis’ back onto the cold, but not snow-covered, ground.

While Peridot was trying to breath, Lapis was transforming back. Lapis stood proud and tall, sniffing the air and listening for signs of the man, her head cocked. Her blue hair on her head was still glowing light blue, surrounding her with an eire blue lighting that highlighted her glowing yellow eyes. The only sign that she had been sprinting was her flushed cheeks and over alert eyes. 

Without Lapis’ hair glowing, Peridot wouldn’t be able to see anything, and even with it, only a few feet in each direction.

Peridot sat on the ground until better rested, feeling slightly embarrassed that she was the one flustered. She was about to push herself off the ground when Lapis smiled down at her and tilted her head, the smile saying, “Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Peridot met Lapis’ glowing yellow eyes, glaring, and her own face glowed red with embarrassment. Peridot was conscious of the fact that the dark did nothing to hide her red face, for Lapis could see in the dark.

While Peridot glared up at Lapis, her ears redended from humiliation, Lapis reached out her hand. Peridot continued to glare at her, but accepted the help up. Peridot’s glare softened as she was surprised by two things. One was, no one had ever helped her up when she had fallen in the past. The second was, Lapis’ hand was so soft.

Once up, Peridot quickly let go of her hand, feeling weak and self conscious, but Lapis did not seem to notice this. Lapis was preoccupied with the mission, though she liked that Peridot accepted help, even if it was something small. That was a good trait in someone.

Especially someone who was not used to getting help.

She also smirked slightly at Peridot’s embarrassment, finding it interesting, and cute. This meant Peridot was starting to feel things again. Lapis noticed that Peridot’s hand was small, but rough.

“Can you tell me the plan before we go and face a stranger?” Peridot whined, still upset that she was not sleeping. Lapis rolled her eyes and held up a finger. A second later Amethyst alighted onto her shoulder.

Amethyst tilted her owl head and smiled at Peridot in a way unnatural for owls. Amethyst remembered her first time in the village, being overwhelmed, angry, and confused. She was also eager to get to know the newbie. Peridot looked interesting, though at the moment she just seemed upset and annoyed, frowning at Amethyst.

Amethyst hopped off Lapis’ arm and, while in midair, changed into her human form, still smirking. All three stood in silence for ten seconds before Lapis told them her plan.

“We are going to approach the man silently and quickly. Amethyst, you distract him, but do not hurt him. Peridot, you stay back a bit. I will knock him out right away. Did you see anything out of the ordinary, something we need to know, Amethyst?”

“He is sitting in a cave, so coming up behind him will be nearly impossible. I will lure him out of the cave. He is eating at the moment, but I am guess he will either start a small fire, or try to sleep. He has a backpack full of food and water. And a gun on his hip in a holster. His clothes are made for the heavy duty cold weather. He has not been attacked by anything. It looks like he’s on a mission. One other thing, I think his mission is to kill you.” Amethyst replied, slightly hesitant on her last sentence, but Lapis just smiled, slightly devilishly. Lapis’ devilish smile consisted more like a bared fanged smile and dangerous eyes. Still, there was confidence and humor in it.

“He’s going to be immensely disappointed. His gun won’t do squat, on any of us. We can only die if killed by something cursed. A gun won’t touch us.” Lapis paused, mainly expressing this to Peridot, so she is not worried about the boy’s gun. Peridot noticed her glance and shrugged, then looked away, her face heating from slight shame. She knew that normal ways of death, like shooting oneself, did not work. She had tried it more than a few times.

“Peridot, once we knock the kid out, you come in. We will travel close to the village, then you will bring him in, saying you found him unconscious in the forest. They’ll believe you because someone was bound to notice him gone, with supplies, and you only recently disappeared. Then you sneak back out before people can ask questions. Got it?” Lapis finished.

“How am I going to see? How are you going to sneak up on him with glowing hair and eyes? Won’t he think that a purple owl is suspicious? Why not rush him and take him out right away? Why doesn’t Amethyst just slip into the cave and knock him out? Why not knock him out in his sleep?” Peridot muttered the questions softly, but both Lapis and Amethyst heard them. To be honest, Peridot was slightly nervous about questioning Lapis, for fear of riling up her anger. 

Lapis was not easy to anger though. She had anger issues, once she was angered, but she had learned not to let people rile her up. Not to mention, Peridot was asking good questions. Lapis found this as another interesting fact about Peridot. Peridot could analyze and think ahead. A very useful skill in war.

Amethyst noticed this too, and her eyebrows shot up, a tiny smile in her face. Lapis had a half smile with one fang showing. Amethyst decided to answer Peridot’s questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you enjoy this chapter, and I am always up for criticism. Please go read Niigoki's Aurora fanfic before reading on- it will make my story make more sense. AND IT IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!
> 
> Lars and Lapis are going to get in trouble next chapter ;]

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! I hope to post more. It was fun to write, even if it was in a different writing style than I normally use. 
> 
> I liked to listen to musicals while writing: Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Heathers, Mean Girls. Falsettos, 21 Chump Street, and a few others.


End file.
